New Hampshire County Fair Fried Dough Recipes

QUICK & EASY FRIED DOUGH RECIPE - (3.9/5)

Steps:

• Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Work in the cold butter, using a pastry blender, your fingers, or a mixer. Stir in the warm water to make a soft dough. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes. Divide the dough into eight pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll into a thin 5" round. Heat 1/4" vegetable oil to 375°F in an electric frying pan, or in a pan over a burner. If you're not using an electric frying pan, you'll have to guesstimate the temperature of the oil in your stove-top pan. Pick up one dough disk, and carefully lower it into the pan. Let it cook for 45 to 60 seconds (it'll puff up on top and become brown on the bottom), then flip it over and cook till brown on the other side, about 45 seconds. Remove from the oil and set on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Place in a 200°F oven to keep warm while you make the remaining fried doughs. Serve warm, with maple syrup or cider syrup; confectioners' sugar, or cinnamon sugar; or the topping of your choice.

NEW HAMPSHIRE COUNTY FAIR FRIED DOUGH

Steps:

• 1. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• 2. Work in the cold butter, using a pastry blender, your fingers, or a mixer.
• 3. Stir in the warm water to make a soft dough. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
• 4. Divide the dough into eight pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll into a thin 5" round, about 3/8" thick.
• 5. Heat about 3/8" vegetable oil to 375°F in an electric frying pan, or in a pan over a burner. If you're using a 10" diameter pan, this is 2 cups of vegetable oil. If you're not using an electric frying pan, use a candy thermometer to take the temperature of the oil; or guesstimate it by seeing if the first piece of dough fries nicely in the time specified.
• 6. Pick up one dough disk, and carefully lower it into the pan. Let it cook for 60 seconds (it'll puff up on top and become light brown on the bottom), then flip it over and cook until light brown on the other side, about 60 seconds. You don't want to cook these too dark; they'll become overly crisp.
• 7. Remove from the oil and set on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Place in a 200°F oven to keep warm while you make the remaining fried doughs.
• 8. Serve warm, with maple syrup or cider syrup; confectioners' sugar, or cinnamon sugar; or the topping of your choice - some folks enjoy a savory version, with marinara sauce and cheese.

THERA'S CANADIAN FRIED DOUGH

Steps:

• Mix warm water, yeast, and 1 pinch of sugar in a large bowl, and let stand until the yeast begins to foam and form a creamy layer, about 5 minutes. Stir in milk, 1/3 cup sugar, salt, vanilla extract, eggs, and 1/3 cup vegetable oil until the sugar has dissolved. Mix in about half the whole-wheat flour, and stir until the dough is too stiff to add more flour. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, place into an oiled bowl, and cover. Let rise until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Punch down the dough, knead a few times to reshape it, and pinch off a piece of dough about the size of an egg. Roll the dough ball out into an oval shape about 1/4 inch thick. Place finished fried dough on a cloth and cover while you finish rolling out the pastries.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large, deep skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Oil should be at least 4 inches deep. Combine 2 cups of sugar with cinnamon to taste in a shallow dish or pie plate, and set aside.
• Gently lower the pastries, one at a time, into the hot oil, and fry 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden brown. Blot excess oil from fried pastries with paper towels; gently press each pastry into the cinnamon sugar while still warm. Shake off excess sugar.

COUNTY FAIR FRIED DOUGH

Steps:

• Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Work in the cold butter, using a pastry blender, your fingers, or a mixer.
• Stir in the warm water to make a soft dough. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Divide the dough into eight pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll into a thin 5" round, about 3/8" thick.
• Heat about 3/8" vegetable oil to 375°F in an electric frying pan, or in a pan over a burner. If you're using a 10" diameter pan, this is 2 cups of vegetable oil. If you're not using an electric frying pan, use a candy thermometer to take the temperature of the oil; or guesstimate it by seeing if the first piece of dough fries nicely in the time specified.
• Pick up one dough disk, and carefully lower it into the pan. Let it cook for 60 seconds (it'll puff up on top and become light brown on the bottom), then flip it over and cook until light brown on the other side, about 60 seconds. You don't want to cook these too dark; they'll become overly crisp.
• Remove from the oil and set on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Place in a 200°F oven to keep warm while you make the remaining fried doughs.
• Serve warm, with maple syrup or cider syrup; confectioners' sugar, or cinnamon sugar; or the topping of your choice - some folks enjoy a savory version, with marinara sauce and cheese.
• TIP:.
• Peanut oil is our favorite deep-frying oil; it has a higher smoke point, and neutral flavor.
• Up to 1/4 of sugar may be added if desired.

FRIED DOUGH

Steps:

• Preheat the oil to 350 degrees F. Dust the dough with the flour. Pound out the dough as thin as possible with your hands or with a rolling pin. Cut the dough into 2 pieces. Carefully place the dough into the hot oil. Cook until the dough is browned, 1 to 2 minutes, then repeat on the other side. Carefully transfer the dough from the oil to a paper-towel-lined plate.
• Place the dough on a clean plate. Drizzle the chocolate sauce over the dough and dust with the powdered sugar.